About Gate 9

Athletic Club Omonia Nicosia (Greek: Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Ομόνοια Λευκωσίας), commonly referred to as Omonia, is a professional football club based in Cyprus capital city, Nicosia.
The club was established in 1948 and became a member of the Cyprus Football Association in 1953. Omonia, which means 'Concord' in Greek, has won 20 League Championships, 14 Cypriot Cups and 16 Super Cups and 5 domestic doubles - in 1972, 1974, 1981, 1982 and 1983 all since 1948. Omonia's history speaks for itself. Since joining the Cypriot First Division, Omonia has won nearly 1 out of every 4 league titles qualifying it as the most successful club domestically in the history of Cyprus. Prior to the 1953 season, no more than 8 teams participated in the Cypriot First Division, and half of which no longer exist. (APOEL Nicosia has won 22 titles. However half of them were won between the years 1935 and 1953, prior to the formation of AC Omonia when Omonia AC players still played for APOEL Nicosia). The Cyprus Football Association declared them as the Team of the 20th Century. Omonia remains the only team to have won the Cypriot Cup 4 times in a row, between the years 1980 and 1983. However, it is the only one of the big four clubs in Cyprus yet to qualify for European Group stage (Champions League or Europa League).
As an athletic club, Omonia also operates basketball, volleyball,cycling and futsal sections. The latter one is being particularly successful, having won the league and cup in three consecutive years since 2011.
Contents
1 History
1.1 1950s,
1.2 1960s,
1.3 Golden Era (1970s-1980s),
1.4 1970s,
1.5 1980s,
1.6 General Downfall (1990s-2000s),
1.7 1990s,
1.8 2000s,
1.9 Return to Trophy Streak(2010-present),
1.10 2009-2010,
1.11 2010-2011,
1.12 2011-2012,
1.13 2012-2013,
,
2 Colours and badge,
3 Stadium,
4 Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors,
5 Supporters,
6 2013 Financial Crisis and Pan-Cypriot fundraiser,
7 Retired number(s),
8 Honours,
9 AC Omonia in Europe
9.1 European Cup/UEFA Champions League,
9.2 UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League,
,
10 Players
10.1 First team squad,
10.2 Out on loan,
10.3 Former players,
,
11 Club Officials
11.1 Board of Directors,
11.2 Staff,
11.3 Technical staff,
11.4 Managerial history,
,
12 References,
13 External links,
History:
AC Omonia was founded in 1948, in the backdrop of the Greek Civil War. The political turbulence from that conflict spilled over into Cyprus. APOEL board officials sent a telegram the Hellenic Amateur Athletic Association (SEGAS) stating its intention to have its players sign allegiance to Greece's fascist dictatorship, clearly violating the statue prohibiting clubs from being associated with any political groups.
After numerous players criticized the decision made by the APOEL board, and ultimately refused to sign any documents professing any political party or philosophy, those players were expelled from the club. Determined to carry on, those players and other club members left the team and established their own, separate clubs in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia. On 4 June 1948, AC Omonia was created. In 1953, AC Omonia was admitted into the Cypriot First Division. Nea Salamis Famagusta FC, Alki Larnaca, and Orfeas Nicosia were also founded in the same year.
1950s:
After entering the 1953-54 in 1953, Omonia only managed to place 7th out of 9 teams in the 1953-54 season, barely avoiding relegation. During that decade, the club's best placing came during the 1956-57 season when the club finished 3rd.
1960s:
After a mediocre decade in the in 1953, AC Omonia would make its closest push for the title during the 1959-60 season after finishing 2nd only 1 point behind Anorthosis Famagusta. More motivated than ever, the following year, after just 7 seasons in the First Division, AC Omonia would go on and win its first title in 1960-61 season, sending shockwaves across Cyprus. Omonia, in that season would score an unheard of 91 goals in 24 matches on their way to their first ever Cyprus First Division title. Omonia would go on to win their second title during the 1965-66 season.
Golden Era (1970s-1980s):
1970s:
During the 1970s, AC Omonia had established itself as a force to be reckoned with. During the decade, led by a young, Sotiris Kaiafas, Omonia would accomplish what no team in Cyprus would ever accomplish by winning 7 Cypriot League Championships beginning in 1972, including six consecutive titles in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979. By the time the decade would come to an end, Omonia had already surpassed the number of titles of Anorthosis Famagusta which was established in 1911 (nearly 40 years prior to the establishment of Omonia). Omonia was also well under way to catching its rival, APOEL, who also had a 13 year head-start on Omonia. At the end of the 1979 season, Omonia only trailed APOEL by two championships. Sotiris Kaiafas would become top scorer in Cyprus during the 1971-72, 1973-74, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1980-81, 1982-83, and 1983-84 seasons. In 1976, Sotiris Kaiafas would go on and win the European Golden Boot Award for his single-season 36-goal performance. In 2003, he was awarded the UEFA Jubilee Awards for The Best Cypriot Footballer of the 20th Century.
1980s:
AC Omonia won an additional seven Cypriot League Championship titles including another 5 consecutive in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, and again in 1987 and in 1989. As the 1980s came to an end, Omonia had surpassed Anorthosis and APOEL for the most titles in Cypriot history. In the 20 year span between 1970 and 1990, Omonia had won 14 Cypriot Championship Titles.
General Downfall (1990s-2000s):
1990s:
The 1990s would prove to be less fruitful than the previous two decades. During this time, AC Omonia only mustered one Cypriot League title during the 1992-93 season. It would be eight long years before Omonia would see its next title. The only ray of hope came in 1997 after the signing a German named Rainer Rauffmann. Rainer Rauffmann would leave his mark in the long line of Omonia greats. With the help of other Omonia great and then captain, Costas Malekkos, and a young Costas Kaiafas (son of Sotiris Kaiafas), Rainer Rauffmann would become top scorer of the Cypriot First Division in the 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons and leading Omonoia to two titles.
2000s:
After a disappointing eight seasons, the 2000s decade began on the right foot. AC Omonia would celebrate its 18th Cypriot League Championship title in 2001. Now captained by Costas Kaiafas, Omonia would win its 19th Cypriot League Championship again in 2003. However, since 2003, the team would stumble and be without a title for the next several years. After numerous seasons of poor signings and underachieving, Omonia's reigns would be taken over by new chairman and team president, Miltiadis Neophytou in 2008.
Return to Trophy Streak(2010-present):
2009-2010:
The team would soon be put back on track starting in 2006, beginning with the signing of Cyprus national football team goalie, Antonis Georgallides. Omonia would continue its star-studded signings by acquiring Cypriot stars that had been playing abroad such as, Elias Charalambous and Stathis Aloneftis. Omonia would then make headlines with the shocking signing of all-time leading scorer of the Cyprus national football team, Michalis Konstantinou. In 2009, Omonia would also sign another Cypriot star, Konstantinos Makrides. Along the way, Omonia would also acquire young Cypriot hopefuls, 21 year-old Dimitris Christofi, and 20 year-old Georgios Efrem. Efrem, who had been playing on the youth team of Arsenal FC and later Scottish side, Rangers, would be the final piece to the puzzle needed to win its 20th Cypriot League Championship. After putting the proper pieces in place, AC Omonia did just that. During the 2009-10 season, led by new captain, Elias Charalambous, AC Omonia would not lose a single derby, including play-offs matches against either, APOEL, Anorthosis Famagusta, nor Apollon. After defeating its rival APOEL three consecutive times, Omonia became the 2009-10 Cypriot League Champions for the 20th time.
2010-2011:
Omonia would not be able to repeat as Champion during the 2010-2011 regular season, and instead had to settle with finishing 2nd, despite the addition of yet another young Cypriot rising star, Andreas Avraam. However the team was to end on a positive note. Under interim coach Neophytos Larkou, Omonia defeated Apollon Limasol in the Cyprus Cup Final and won their 13th Coca-Cola Cup.
2011-2012:
Omonia spent a difficult year but managed to win their 14th Coca-Cola Cup starring Andre Alves who score the winning goal against AEL Limassol.
Under the guidance of newly appointed Director of Football Nickolas Danskalou AC Omonoia managed to finish 2nd in the Championship and 3rd after the playoff rounds all but assuring they would qualify for the Second round of the 2012-2013 UEFA Cup Competition.
2012-2013:
Omonoia started the season with a 5-0 win but found their second win after several games. Although the first round was disappointing the team made a great effort in the second round and climbed from 6th to 3rd place. Thousands of fans answered the president's call to donate as much as they could and the financial issues of the club improved. Omonoia's final match ended in a 3-1 victory over AEK Larnaca. Omonoia was knocked out in the semifinals of the cup by AEL Limassol. The team will be playing in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
Colours and badge:
AC Omonia's colors are green and white. Their current alternate kit is black and red. AC Omonia's badge has a green shamrock in a white circle. On the 10th of June 2013 the team updated its symbol by adding golden branches around the shamrock and writing with gold letters "65 years" celebrating 65 years since the club's first meeting in 1948.
Stadium:
Since 23 October 1999, Omonia has been using the 22,859 seat GSP Stadium, the largest stadium in Cyprus. They share the stadium with local rivals APOEL and Olympiakos. Omonia played in the Makario Stadium from 1978 until 1999 and in old GSP Stadium prior to 1978. When the club was first created, it used the Goal Stadium.
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors:
Period
Kit manufacturer
Shirt partner
1992-1994
Umbro
Lois
1994-1998
Diadora
KEO
1998-1999
Kappa
1999-2001
Umbro
2001-2004
2004-2007
Lotto
LOEL juices
2007-2008
miVision
2008-2010
Ocean Tankers
2010-2012
Adidas
Cytamobile-Vodafone
2012-
Nike
Supporters:
See Main Article: Gate-9
Omonoia is and always has been the most popular team in Cyprus. Regarded as the 'people's team', Omonia is known for the left-leaning, socialist character of its supporters.
Omonia is also traditionally regarded as the club of Cyprus's working-class. Most of Omonia's supporters have adopted an outspoken stance against both racism and fascism alike. Many of Omonia's supporters can be seen waving banners bearing Che Guevara's image and unlike many of Cyprus's right-wing teams, proudly wave the flag of Cyprus during matches. The club has relationships with FC St. Pauli, Celtic F.C., Hapoel Tel Aviv and Standard Liège.
The extreme, more hardcore fans can be seen in Gate 9 and are commonly referred to as "Kifines" (or male bees).Gate 9 was established in 1992, it is made up of the most passionate fans of the club. Gate 9 is the most popular fan organisation in Cyprus having members and divisions across the whole of the island. Thousands of them occupy the North stand at the GSP stadium during home games. Gate 9 members are always seated at the North stand because when the organization was founded the member were seated at the most northern part of the club's previous stadium, the Makario Stadium. Omonia's fans are well known for their passion. Their presence is seen on the fields in Cyprus during Cypriot League matches and throughout Europe. In 2003, Omonia's fans broke their previous record for attendance in home matches with the improved figure of 140,740. The record was broken again the following year with 143,033 tickets sold in 13 home matches. The record now stands at 162,061 tickets sold during the 2009-2010 season.
2013 Financial Crisis and Pan-Cypriot fundraiser:
By the end of February Omonoia was strugling to meet UEFA criteria for March and June. When it became obvious that resources were limitted and money was quickly running out the president of the club turned to the only source that had remained loyal to the club since its creation, its supporters. The presidet called for all the supporters to donate as much as they could and a huge fundraiser island wide was on its way with the motto; "Η ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ ΕΙΝΑΙ Ο ΛΑΟΣ ΤΗΣ" meaning "OMONOIA IS ITS PEOPLE". Hundreds of events were organized all over the island with current and former players contributing by signing autographs and selling club merchandise. Although the media constantly described the situation as grim and hopeless, money continued to pour in from all over the island and even supporters from abroad including England and the United States. In about a month and a half 3.5 million euros were collected from the club's supporters.. The club was literally saved by its fans with money to spare. No other club in Cyprus would have been able to accomplish this, and would have most likely folded.
Retired number(s):
Main article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retired_numbers_in_football_(soccer)
12 - Club Supporters (the 12th Man)
Honours:
Cyprus Football Association
Cypriot Championship: 20
1961, 1966, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1993, 2001, 2003, 2010,
,
Cypriot Cup: 14
1965, 1972, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1991, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012,
,
Cyprus FA Shield: 16 (record)
1966, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1994, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2012,
,
AC Omonia in Europe:
European Cup/UEFA Champions League:
European Cup/UEFA Champions League
Season
Round
Rival
Home
Away
Agg.
1966-67
First Round
1860 Munich
1-2
8-0
1-10
1972-73
First Round
Waterford United
2-0
2-1
3-2
Second Round
Bayern Munich
0-4
9-0
0-13
1974-75
First Round
Cork Celtic
-
-
(w/o)
1976-77
First Round
PAOK
0-2
1-1
1-3
1977-78
First Round
Juventus
0-3
2-0
0-5
1978-79
First Round
Bohemians
2-1
1-0
2-2 (a)
1979-80
First Round
Red Boys Differdange
6-1
2-1
7-3
Second Round
Ajax
4-0
10-0
4-10
1981-82
First Round
Benfica
0-1
3-0
0-4
1982-83
First Round
HJK Helsinki
4-0
3-0
2-3
1983-84
First Round
CSKA Sofia
4-1
3-0
4-4 (a)
1984-85
First Round
Dinamo Bucharest
2-1
4-1
3-5
1985-86
First Round
Rabat Ajax
5-0
0-5
10-0
Second Round
Anderlecht
1-3
1-0
1-4
1987-88
First Round
Shamrock Rovers
0-0
0-1
1-0
Second Round
Steaua Bucureşti
0-2
1-3
1-5
1989-90
First Round
Swarovski Tirol
2-3
6-0
2-9
1993-94
Preliminary Round
FC Aarau
2-1
2-0
2-3
2001-02
Second Qualifying Round
Red Star Belgrade
1-1
2-1
2-3
2003-04
First Qualifying Round
Irtysh
0-0
1-2
2-1
Second Qualifying Round
Wisła Kraków
2-2
5-2
4-7
2010-11
Second Qualifying Round
Renova
3-0
0-2
5-0
Third Qualifying Round
Red Bull Salzburg
1-1
4-1
2-5
UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League:
UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League
Season
Round
Rival
Home
Away
Agg.
1986-87
First Round
Sportul Studenţesc
1-1
1-0
1-2
1990-91
First Round
PFC Slavia Sofia
4-2
2-1
5-4
Second Round
Anderlecht
1-1
3-0
1-4
1995-96
Preliminary Round
Sliema Wanderers
3-0
1-2
5-1
First Round
Lazio
1-2
5-0
1-7
1998-99
First Qualifying Round
Linfield
5-1
5-3
8-6
Second Qualifying Round
Rapid Wien
3-1
2-0
3-3 (a)
1999-00
Qualifying Round
FC Belshyna Babruisk
3-0
1-5
8-1
First Round
Juventus
2-5
5-0
2-10
2000-01
Qualifying Round
Naftex Burgas
0-0
2-1
1-2
2004-05
First Qualifying Round
Sloga Jugomagnat
4-0
1-4
8-1
Second Qualifying Round
CSKA Sofia
1-1
3-1
2-4
2005-06
First Qualifying Round
Hibernians
3-0
0-3
6-0
Second Qualifying Round
Dinamo Bucureşti
2-1
3-1
3-4
2006-07
First Qualifying Round
Rijeka
2-1
2-2
4-3
Second Qualifying Round
Litex Lovech
0-0
2-1
1-2
2007-08
First Qualifying Round
Rudar Pljevlja
2-0
0-2
4-0
Second Qualifying Round
CSKA Sofia
1-1
2-1
2-3
2008-09
First Qualifying Round
Milano
2-0
1-2
4-1
Second Qualifying Round
AEK Athens
2-2
0-1
3-2
First Round
Manchester City
1-2
2-1
2-4
2009-10
Second Qualifying Round
HB
4-0
1-4
8-1
Third Qualifying Round
Vaslui
1-1
2-0
1-3
2010-11
Play-off Round
Metalist Kharkiv
0-1
2-2
2-3
2011-12
Third Qualifying Round
ADO Den Haag
3-0
1-0
3-1
Play-off Round
Red Bull Salzburg
2-1
1-0
2-2 (a)
2012-13
Third Qualifying Round
Red Star Belgrade
0-0
0-0
0-0 (5-6 p)
2013-14
Second Qualifying Round
Astra Giurgiu
1-2
1-1
2-3
Players:
First team squad:
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
No.
Position
Player
2
DF
Rasheed Alabi
4
DF
José
5
DF
Pieter Mbemba
7
MF
Georgios Efrem (captain)
8
FW
Onisiforos Roushias
9
FW
Łukasz Gikiewicz
10
MF
Bruno Aguiar (vice-captain)
11
FW
Alípio
13
DF
Sofyane Cherfa
17
DF
Anthony Scaramozzino
18
DF
Christoforos Charalambous
19
DF
Andreas Panayiotou
20
MF
Platini
21
MF
Nuno Assis (vice-captain)
No.
Position
Player
23
DF
João Paulo Andrade
25
DF
Ganiu Ogungbe
28
MF
Renato Margaça
29
FW
Justin Mengolo
30
MF
André Schembri
31
GK
José Moreira
33
FW
Ioannis Chadjivasilis
40
DF
Charalambos Kyriakou
44
MF
Leandro
60
MF
Marco Soares
77
MF
Tony Taylor
83
GK
Corrin Brooks
96
MF
Panayiotis Therapontos
99
GK
Evagoras Hadjifrangiskou
Source: omonoia.com.cy
Out on loan:
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
No.
Position
Player
DF
Demetris Moulazimis (to Enosis Neon Paralimniou until May 2014)
MF
Fanos Katelaris (to Alki Larnaca until May 2014)
Former players:
For details of former players, see Category:AC Omonia players
Club Officials:
Board of Directors:
President
Stelios Mylonas
A Vice President
Nicos Charalambous
B Vice President
Christos Tsaggaris
General Secretary
Christoforos Christofi
B General Secretary
Christodoulos Christodoulou
Head of Finance
Kostas Petsas
Contact Person
Pavlos Chrisanthou
Member
Antonis Zymaras
Member
Antonis Ioulianos
Member
Yiannakis Ioannou
Member
Photos Ioannou
Member
Michalis Vasiliou
Member
Nicolas Christodoulou
Member
Charalambos Ioannou
Member
Kostas Christou
Staff:
Chief Executive Manager
Pavlos Nicolaides
Media Officer
Andreas Demetriou
Marketing Officer
Christos Chatzisotiriou
Administration Officer
Apostolos Mikellidis
Ticketing Officer
Andreas Petrou
Team Manager
Christos Tziambouris
Accountant
Yiota Rotou
Commercial Unit Officer
Stathis Vasiliou
Academy Officers
Andreas Miliotis, Kostakis Yiannouris, Charalambos Argyrou
Secretary
Christina Michael
Technical staff:
Head coach
Toni Savevski
Assistant coach
Sofoklis Sofokleous
Assistant coach
Christoforos Kola
Physical fitness coach
Alejandro Caceres
Fitness trainer
Onisiforos Onisiforou
Goalkeeping coach
Christoforos Loizou
Managerial history:
Tikran Misirian (1948-52),
John Johnson (1952-53),
Pampos Avraamides (1953-55),
Hans Hounggehouizen (1955-57),
Karl Vigler (1957-59),
Eli Fuchs (1959-60),
Nako Tsiakmakov (1960-62),
Tourai (1962-63),
Stoyan Petrov (1963-64),
Andreas Keremezos (1964-65),
Georgi Pachedzhiev (1965-66), (first term),
Igor Netto (1966-67),
Georgi Barka (1967-68),
Georgi Pachedzhiev (1968-70), (second term),
Tziakarov (1970-71),
Dobromir Taskov (1971-72), (first term),
Vasile Spasov (1972-74), (first term),
Andreas Constantinou (Esso) (1974-75),
Iltziev (1975-76),
Gavriel Stoyanov (1976-77),
Peter Argirov (1977-79),
Iancho Arsov (1979-80), (first term),
Vasile Spasov (1980-82), (second term),
Dobromir Taskov (1982-83), (second term),
Adanas Dramov (1983-85),
Georgi Tinkov (1985-86),
Iancho Arsov (1986-89), (second term),
Bozhil Kolev (1989-90),
Helmut Senekowitsch (1990-91),
Graziano Zakarel (1991-92),
Iancho Arsov (1992-94), (third term),
Gerhard Prokop (1994-96),
Walter Skocik (1995-96),
Angel Kolev (1996-97),
Andreas Michaelides (1997-99),
Dušan Galis (1999),
Iancho Arsov (1999-00), (fourth term),
Asparuh Nikodimov (2000),
Arie Haan (Nov 14, 2000-Nov 30, 2000),
Henk Houwaart (Oct 1, 2000-Nov 30, 2001), (first term),
Andreas Mouskallis (2002),
Toni Savevski (2002-04), (first term),
Franciszek Smuda (2004),
Henk Houwaart (July 1, 2004-Dec 31, 2005), (second term),
Ioan Andone (Dec 28, 2005-May 25, 2007),
Dragan Okuka (May 23, 2007-Nov 26, 2007),
Ioannis Matzourakis (2007),
Giorgos Savvidis (2008),
Nedim Tutić (2008-09),
Takis Lemonis (March 17, 2009-Oct 4, 2010),
Dušan Bajević (Oct 13, 2010-April 14, 2011),
Neophytos Larkou (April 15, 2011-Sept 18, 2012),
Toni Savevski (Sept 27, 2012-), (second term)

Athletic Club Omonia Nicosia (Greek: Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Ομόνοια Λευκωσίας), commonly referred to as Omonia, is a professional football club based in Cyprus capital city, Nicosia. The club was established in 1948 and became a member of the Cyprus Football Association in 1953. Omonia, which means 'Concord' in Greek, has won 20 League Championships, 14 Cypriot Cups and 16 Super Cups and 5 domestic doubles - in 1972, 1974, 1981, 1982 and 1983 all since 1948. Omonia's history speaks for itself. Since joining the Cypriot First Division, Omonia has won nearly 1 out of every 4 league titles qualifying it as the most successful club domestically in the history of Cyprus. Prior to the 1953 season, no more than 8 teams participated in the Cypriot First Division, and half of which no longer exist. (APOEL Nicosia has won 22 titles. However half of them were won between the years 1935 and 1953, prior to the formation of AC Omonia when Omonia AC players still played for APOEL Nicosia). The Cyprus Football Association declared them as the Team of the 20th Century. Omonia remains the only team to have won the Cypriot Cup 4 times in a row, between the years 1980 and 1983. However, it is the only one of the big four clubs in Cyprus yet to qualify for European Group stage (Champions League or Europa League). As an athletic club, Omonia also operates basketball, volleyball,cycling and futsal sections. The latter one is being particularly successful, having won the league and cup in three consecutive years since 2011. Contents 1 History 1.1 1950s, 1.2 1960s, 1.3 Golden Era (1970s-1980s), 1.4 1970s, 1.5 1980s, 1.6 General Downfall (1990s-2000s), 1.7 1990s, 1.8 2000s, 1.9 Return to Trophy Streak(2010-present), 1.10 2009-2010, 1.11 2010-2011, 1.12 2011-2012, 1.13 2012-2013, , 2 Colours and badge, 3 Stadium, 4 Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors, 5 Supporters, 6 2013 Financial Crisis and Pan-Cypriot fundraiser, 7 Retired number(s), 8 Honours, 9 AC Omonia in Europe 9.1 European Cup/UEFA Champions League, 9.2 UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, , 10 Players 10.1 First team squad, 10.2 Out on loan, 10.3 Former players, , 11 Club Officials 11.1 Board of Directors, 11.2 Staff, 11.3 Technical staff, 11.4 Managerial history, , 12 References, 13 External links, History: AC Omonia was founded in 1948, in the backdrop of the Greek Civil War. The political turbulence from that conflict spilled over into Cyprus. APOEL board officials sent a telegram the Hellenic Amateur Athletic Association (SEGAS) stating its intention to have its players sign allegiance to Greece's fascist dictatorship, clearly violating the statue prohibiting clubs from being associated with any political groups. After numerous players criticized the decision made by the APOEL board, and ultimately refused to sign any documents professing any political party or philosophy, those players were expelled from the club. Determined to carry on, those players and other club members left the team and established their own, separate clubs in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia. On 4 June 1948, AC Omonia was created. In 1953, AC Omonia was admitted into the Cypriot First Division. Nea Salamis Famagusta FC, Alki Larnaca, and Orfeas Nicosia were also founded in the same year. 1950s: After entering the 1953-54 in 1953, Omonia only managed to place 7th out of 9 teams in the 1953-54 season, barely avoiding relegation. During that decade, the club's best placing came during the 1956-57 season when the club finished 3rd. 1960s: After a mediocre decade in the in 1953, AC Omonia would make its closest push for the title during the 1959-60 season after finishing 2nd only 1 point behind Anorthosis Famagusta. More motivated than ever, the following year, after just 7 seasons in the First Division, AC Omonia would go on and win its first title in 1960-61 season, sending shockwaves across Cyprus. Omonia, in that season would score an unheard of 91 goals in 24 matches on their way to their first ever Cyprus First Division title. Omonia would go on to win their second title during the 1965-66 season. Golden Era (1970s-1980s): 1970s: During the 1970s, AC Omonia had established itself as a force to be reckoned with. During the decade, led by a young, Sotiris Kaiafas, Omonia would accomplish what no team in Cyprus would ever accomplish by winning 7 Cypriot League Championships beginning in 1972, including six consecutive titles in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979. By the time the decade would come to an end, Omonia had already surpassed the number of titles of Anorthosis Famagusta which was established in 1911 (nearly 40 years prior to the establishment of Omonia). Omonia was also well under way to catching its rival, APOEL, who also had a 13 year head-start on Omonia. At the end of the 1979 season, Omonia only trailed APOEL by two championships. Sotiris Kaiafas would become top scorer in Cyprus during the 1971-72, 1973-74, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1980-81, 1982-83, and 1983-84 seasons. In 1976, Sotiris Kaiafas would go on and win the European Golden Boot Award for his single-season 36-goal performance. In 2003, he was awarded the UEFA Jubilee Awards for The Best Cypriot Footballer of the 20th Century. 1980s: AC Omonia won an additional seven Cypriot League Championship titles including another 5 consecutive in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, and again in 1987 and in 1989. As the 1980s came to an end, Omonia had surpassed Anorthosis and APOEL for the most titles in Cypriot history. In the 20 year span between 1970 and 1990, Omonia had won 14 Cypriot Championship Titles. General Downfall (1990s-2000s): 1990s: The 1990s would prove to be less fruitful than the previous two decades. During this time, AC Omonia only mustered one Cypriot League title during the 1992-93 season. It would be eight long years before Omonia would see its next title. The only ray of hope came in 1997 after the signing a German named Rainer Rauffmann. Rainer Rauffmann would leave his mark in the long line of Omonia greats. With the help of other Omonia great and then captain, Costas Malekkos, and a young Costas Kaiafas (son of Sotiris Kaiafas), Rainer Rauffmann would become top scorer of the Cypriot First Division in the 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons and leading Omonoia to two titles. 2000s: After a disappointing eight seasons, the 2000s decade began on the right foot. AC Omonia would celebrate its 18th Cypriot League Championship title in 2001. Now captained by Costas Kaiafas, Omonia would win its 19th Cypriot League Championship again in 2003. However, since 2003, the team would stumble and be without a title for the next several years. After numerous seasons of poor signings and underachieving, Omonia's reigns would be taken over by new chairman and team president, Miltiadis Neophytou in 2008. Return to Trophy Streak(2010-present): 2009-2010: The team would soon be put back on track starting in 2006, beginning with the signing of Cyprus national football team goalie, Antonis Georgallides. Omonia would continue its star-studded signings by acquiring Cypriot stars that had been playing abroad such as, Elias Charalambous and Stathis Aloneftis. Omonia would then make headlines with the shocking signing of all-time leading scorer of the Cyprus national football team, Michalis Konstantinou. In 2009, Omonia would also sign another Cypriot star, Konstantinos Makrides. Along the way, Omonia would also acquire young Cypriot hopefuls, 21 year-old Dimitris Christofi, and 20 year-old Georgios Efrem. Efrem, who had been playing on the youth team of Arsenal FC and later Scottish side, Rangers, would be the final piece to the puzzle needed to win its 20th Cypriot League Championship. After putting the proper pieces in place, AC Omonia did just that. During the 2009-10 season, led by new captain, Elias Charalambous, AC Omonia would not lose a single derby, including play-offs matches against either, APOEL, Anorthosis Famagusta, nor Apollon. After defeating its rival APOEL three consecutive times, Omonia became the 2009-10 Cypriot League Champions for the 20th time. 2010-2011: Omonia would not be able to repeat as Champion during the 2010-2011 regular season, and instead had to settle with finishing 2nd, despite the addition of yet another young Cypriot rising star, Andreas Avraam. However the team was to end on a positive note. Under interim coach Neophytos Larkou, Omonia defeated Apollon Limasol in the Cyprus Cup Final and won their 13th Coca-Cola Cup. 2011-2012: Omonia spent a difficult year but managed to win their 14th Coca-Cola Cup starring Andre Alves who score the winning goal against AEL Limassol. Under the guidance of newly appointed Director of Football Nickolas Danskalou AC Omonoia managed to finish 2nd in the Championship and 3rd after the playoff rounds all but assuring they would qualify for the Second round of the 2012-2013 UEFA Cup Competition. 2012-2013: Omonoia started the season with a 5-0 win but found their second win after several games. Although the first round was disappointing the team made a great effort in the second round and climbed from 6th to 3rd place. Thousands of fans answered the president's call to donate as much as they could and the financial issues of the club improved. Omonoia's final match ended in a 3-1 victory over AEK Larnaca. Omonoia was knocked out in the semifinals of the cup by AEL Limassol. The team will be playing in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. Colours and badge: AC Omonia's colors are green and white. Their current alternate kit is black and red. AC Omonia's badge has a green shamrock in a white circle. On the 10th of June 2013 the team updated its symbol by adding golden branches around the shamrock and writing with gold letters "65 years" celebrating 65 years since the club's first meeting in 1948. Stadium: Since 23 October 1999, Omonia has been using the 22,859 seat GSP Stadium, the largest stadium in Cyprus. They share the stadium with local rivals APOEL and Olympiakos. Omonia played in the Makario Stadium from 1978 until 1999 and in old GSP Stadium prior to 1978. When the club was first created, it used the Goal Stadium. Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors: Period Kit manufacturer Shirt partner 1992-1994 Umbro Lois 1994-1998 Diadora KEO 1998-1999 Kappa 1999-2001 Umbro 2001-2004 2004-2007 Lotto LOEL juices 2007-2008 miVision 2008-2010 Ocean Tankers 2010-2012 Adidas Cytamobile-Vodafone 2012- Nike Supporters: See Main Article: Gate-9 Omonoia is and always has been the most popular team in Cyprus. Regarded as the 'people's team', Omonia is known for the left-leaning, socialist character of its supporters. Omonia is also traditionally regarded as the club of Cyprus's working-class. Most of Omonia's supporters have adopted an outspoken stance against both racism and fascism alike. Many of Omonia's supporters can be seen waving banners bearing Che Guevara's image and unlike many of Cyprus's right-wing teams, proudly wave the flag of Cyprus during matches. The club has relationships with FC St. Pauli, Celtic F.C., Hapoel Tel Aviv and Standard Liège. The extreme, more hardcore fans can be seen in Gate 9 and are commonly referred to as "Kifines" (or male bees).Gate 9 was established in 1992, it is made up of the most passionate fans of the club. Gate 9 is the most popular fan organisation in Cyprus having members and divisions across the whole of the island. Thousands of them occupy the North stand at the GSP stadium during home games. Gate 9 members are always seated at the North stand because when the organization was founded the member were seated at the most northern part of the club's previous stadium, the Makario Stadium. Omonia's fans are well known for their passion. Their presence is seen on the fields in Cyprus during Cypriot League matches and throughout Europe. In 2003, Omonia's fans broke their previous record for attendance in home matches with the improved figure of 140,740. The record was broken again the following year with 143,033 tickets sold in 13 home matches. The record now stands at 162,061 tickets sold during the 2009-2010 season. 2013 Financial Crisis and Pan-Cypriot fundraiser: By the end of February Omonoia was strugling to meet UEFA criteria for March and June. When it became obvious that resources were limitted and money was quickly running out the president of the club turned to the only source that had remained loyal to the club since its creation, its supporters. The presidet called for all the supporters to donate as much as they could and a huge fundraiser island wide was on its way with the motto; "Η ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ ΕΙΝΑΙ Ο ΛΑΟΣ ΤΗΣ" meaning "OMONOIA IS ITS PEOPLE". Hundreds of events were organized all over the island with current and former players contributing by signing autographs and selling club merchandise. Although the media constantly described the situation as grim and hopeless, money continued to pour in from all over the island and even supporters from abroad including England and the United States. In about a month and a half 3.5 million euros were collected from the club's supporters.. The club was literally saved by its fans with money to spare. No other club in Cyprus would have been able to accomplish this, and would have most likely folded. Retired number(s): Main article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retired_numbers_in_football_(soccer) 12 - Club Supporters (the 12th Man) Honours: Cyprus Football Association Cypriot Championship: 20 1961, 1966, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1993, 2001, 2003, 2010, , Cypriot Cup: 14 1965, 1972, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1991, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2011, 2012, , Cyprus FA Shield: 16 (record) 1966, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1994, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2012, , AC Omonia in Europe: European Cup/UEFA Champions League: European Cup/UEFA Champions League Season Round Rival Home Away Agg. 1966-67 First Round 1860 Munich 1-2 8-0 1-10 1972-73 First Round Waterford United 2-0 2-1 3-2 Second Round Bayern Munich 0-4 9-0 0-13 1974-75 First Round Cork Celtic - - (w/o) 1976-77 First Round PAOK 0-2 1-1 1-3 1977-78 First Round Juventus 0-3 2-0 0-5 1978-79 First Round Bohemians 2-1 1-0 2-2 (a) 1979-80 First Round Red Boys Differdange 6-1 2-1 7-3 Second Round Ajax 4-0 10-0 4-10 1981-82 First Round Benfica 0-1 3-0 0-4 1982-83 First Round HJK Helsinki 4-0 3-0 2-3 1983-84 First Round CSKA Sofia 4-1 3-0 4-4 (a) 1984-85 First Round Dinamo Bucharest 2-1 4-1 3-5 1985-86 First Round Rabat Ajax 5-0 0-5 10-0 Second Round Anderlecht 1-3 1-0 1-4 1987-88 First Round Shamrock Rovers 0-0 0-1 1-0 Second Round Steaua Bucureşti 0-2 1-3 1-5 1989-90 First Round Swarovski Tirol 2-3 6-0 2-9 1993-94 Preliminary Round FC Aarau 2-1 2-0 2-3 2001-02 Second Qualifying Round Red Star Belgrade 1-1 2-1 2-3 2003-04 First Qualifying Round Irtysh 0-0 1-2 2-1 Second Qualifying Round Wisła Kraków 2-2 5-2 4-7 2010-11 Second Qualifying Round Renova 3-0 0-2 5-0 Third Qualifying Round Red Bull Salzburg 1-1 4-1 2-5 UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League: UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League Season Round Rival Home Away Agg. 1986-87 First Round Sportul Studenţesc 1-1 1-0 1-2 1990-91 First Round PFC Slavia Sofia 4-2 2-1 5-4 Second Round Anderlecht 1-1 3-0 1-4 1995-96 Preliminary Round Sliema Wanderers 3-0 1-2 5-1 First Round Lazio 1-2 5-0 1-7 1998-99 First Qualifying Round Linfield 5-1 5-3 8-6 Second Qualifying Round Rapid Wien 3-1 2-0 3-3 (a) 1999-00 Qualifying Round FC Belshyna Babruisk 3-0 1-5 8-1 First Round Juventus 2-5 5-0 2-10 2000-01 Qualifying Round Naftex Burgas 0-0 2-1 1-2 2004-05 First Qualifying Round Sloga Jugomagnat 4-0 1-4 8-1 Second Qualifying Round CSKA Sofia 1-1 3-1 2-4 2005-06 First Qualifying Round Hibernians 3-0 0-3 6-0 Second Qualifying Round Dinamo Bucureşti 2-1 3-1 3-4 2006-07 First Qualifying Round Rijeka 2-1 2-2 4-3 Second Qualifying Round Litex Lovech 0-0 2-1 1-2 2007-08 First Qualifying Round Rudar Pljevlja 2-0 0-2 4-0 Second Qualifying Round CSKA Sofia 1-1 2-1 2-3 2008-09 First Qualifying Round Milano 2-0 1-2 4-1 Second Qualifying Round AEK Athens 2-2 0-1 3-2 First Round Manchester City 1-2 2-1 2-4 2009-10 Second Qualifying Round HB 4-0 1-4 8-1 Third Qualifying Round Vaslui 1-1 2-0 1-3 2010-11 Play-off Round Metalist Kharkiv 0-1 2-2 2-3 2011-12 Third Qualifying Round ADO Den Haag 3-0 1-0 3-1 Play-off Round Red Bull Salzburg 2-1 1-0 2-2 (a) 2012-13 Third Qualifying Round Red Star Belgrade 0-0 0-0 0-0 (5-6 p) 2013-14 Second Qualifying Round Astra Giurgiu 1-2 1-1 2-3 Players: First team squad: Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. No. Position Player 2 DF Rasheed Alabi 4 DF José 5 DF Pieter Mbemba 7 MF Georgios Efrem (captain) 8 FW Onisiforos Roushias 9 FW Łukasz Gikiewicz 10 MF Bruno Aguiar (vice-captain) 11 FW Alípio 13 DF Sofyane Cherfa 17 DF Anthony Scaramozzino 18 DF Christoforos Charalambous 19 DF Andreas Panayiotou 20 MF Platini 21 MF Nuno Assis (vice-captain) No. Position Player 23 DF João Paulo Andrade 25 DF Ganiu Ogungbe 28 MF Renato Margaça 29 FW Justin Mengolo 30 MF André Schembri 31 GK José Moreira 33 FW Ioannis Chadjivasilis 40 DF Charalambos Kyriakou 44 MF Leandro 60 MF Marco Soares 77 MF Tony Taylor 83 GK Corrin Brooks 96 MF Panayiotis Therapontos 99 GK Evagoras Hadjifrangiskou Source: omonoia.com.cy Out on loan: Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. No. Position Player DF Demetris Moulazimis (to Enosis Neon Paralimniou until May 2014) MF Fanos Katelaris (to Alki Larnaca until May 2014) Former players: For details of former players, see Category:AC Omonia players Club Officials: Board of Directors: President Stelios Mylonas A Vice President Nicos Charalambous B Vice President Christos Tsaggaris General Secretary Christoforos Christofi B General Secretary Christodoulos Christodoulou Head of Finance Kostas Petsas Contact Person Pavlos Chrisanthou Member Antonis Zymaras Member Antonis Ioulianos Member Yiannakis Ioannou Member Photos Ioannou Member Michalis Vasiliou Member Nicolas Christodoulou Member Charalambos Ioannou Member Kostas Christou Staff: Chief Executive Manager Pavlos Nicolaides Media Officer Andreas Demetriou Marketing Officer Christos Chatzisotiriou Administration Officer Apostolos Mikellidis Ticketing Officer Andreas Petrou Team Manager Christos Tziambouris Accountant Yiota Rotou Commercial Unit Officer Stathis Vasiliou Academy Officers Andreas Miliotis, Kostakis Yiannouris, Charalambos Argyrou Secretary Christina Michael Technical staff: Head coach Toni Savevski Assistant coach Sofoklis Sofokleous Assistant coach Christoforos Kola Physical fitness coach Alejandro Caceres Fitness trainer Onisiforos Onisiforou Goalkeeping coach Christoforos Loizou Managerial history: Tikran Misirian (1948-52), John Johnson (1952-53), Pampos Avraamides (1953-55), Hans Hounggehouizen (1955-57), Karl Vigler (1957-59), Eli Fuchs (1959-60), Nako Tsiakmakov (1960-62), Tourai (1962-63), Stoyan Petrov (1963-64), Andreas Keremezos (1964-65), Georgi Pachedzhiev (1965-66), (first term), Igor Netto (1966-67), Georgi Barka (1967-68), Georgi Pachedzhiev (1968-70), (second term), Tziakarov (1970-71), Dobromir Taskov (1971-72), (first term), Vasile Spasov (1972-74), (first term), Andreas Constantinou (Esso) (1974-75), Iltziev (1975-76), Gavriel Stoyanov (1976-77), Peter Argirov (1977-79), Iancho Arsov (1979-80), (first term), Vasile Spasov (1980-82), (second term), Dobromir Taskov (1982-83), (second term), Adanas Dramov (1983-85), Georgi Tinkov (1985-86), Iancho Arsov (1986-89), (second term), Bozhil Kolev (1989-90), Helmut Senekowitsch (1990-91), Graziano Zakarel (1991-92), Iancho Arsov (1992-94), (third term), Gerhard Prokop (1994-96), Walter Skocik (1995-96), Angel Kolev (1996-97), Andreas Michaelides (1997-99), Dušan Galis (1999), Iancho Arsov (1999-00), (fourth term), Asparuh Nikodimov (2000), Arie Haan (Nov 14, 2000-Nov 30, 2000), Henk Houwaart (Oct 1, 2000-Nov 30, 2001), (first term), Andreas Mouskallis (2002), Toni Savevski (2002-04), (first term), Franciszek Smuda (2004), Henk Houwaart (July 1, 2004-Dec 31, 2005), (second term), Ioan Andone (Dec 28, 2005-May 25, 2007), Dragan Okuka (May 23, 2007-Nov 26, 2007), Ioannis Matzourakis (2007), Giorgos Savvidis (2008), Nedim Tutić (2008-09), Takis Lemonis (March 17, 2009-Oct 4, 2010), Dušan Bajević (Oct 13, 2010-April 14, 2011), Neophytos Larkou (April 15, 2011-Sept 18, 2012), Toni Savevski (Sept 27, 2012-), (second term)Source: WikipediaText from this biography licensed under creative commons license